"The Monkees" TV Theme

"Here we come, walkin' down the street..." The Monkees were the Pre-Fab Four. On September 12, 1966, the TV show premiered but only lasted two seasons. These guys were not hired based solely on their musicianship. Micky Dolenz had been a child actor. Davy Jones was a stage actor and was in "Oliver!" when the cast was on Ed Sullivan the same night as the Beatles' first appearance. Michael Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper and he pretty much didn't need the money. Peter Tork was a scuffling musician whose buddy Stephen Stills told him to audition. The musical director, Don Kirshner, selected all the songs at first and used session musicians as the group only contributed vocals. That became a bone of contention, but I digress. The visual techniques they used expanded on the Beatles' movies and videos, and the show's style contributed mightily to the birth of MTV.